Ahrefs pricing starts at $29 a month for Starter and runs to $1,499 a month for Enterprise. In between sit Lite at $129, Standard at $249 and Advanced at $449 a month, as of October 2026, on Ahrefs’ own pricing page. What you actually pay depends on three things: the plan, the number of users and the extra data you add on top.
This guide explains every plan, what the monthly price buys, how credits and extra users change the bill, and which plan fits which kind of SEO work, from SEO campaigns to agency reporting. It also covers honest ways to spend less. Every figure comes from the vendor’s own page, read on 21 October 2026, and prices can change at any time.
Key takeaways
- The plans run from the $29 Starter tier to Enterprise at $1,499, with Lite, Standard and Advanced in between.
- Lite limits credits to 1,000 a month. Standard and Advanced remove the cap.
- The vendor says it never runs discounts. Paying annually saves up to 17%, and Ahrefs Free costs nothing.
Ahrefs pricing plans at a glance
The vendor lists its features and pricing on one page, and this table sets the plans side by side. Prices are monthly list prices, as of October 2026.
| Plan | Price a month | Best for | Users included | Tracked keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 | Keyword research and competitor spying | Not listed | Not listed |
| Lite | $129 | Small businesses and personal projects | 1 | 750 |
| Standard | $249 | Freelance SEOs and consultants | 1 | 2,000 |
| Advanced | $449 | In-house marketing teams | 1 | 5,000 |
| Enterprise | From $1,499, annual commitment | Large organisations | From 3 | From 10,000 |
It also offers Ahrefs Free, a limited free plan for website owners, and sells Brand Radar, its AI visibility tool, from $199 a month.
How much does Ahrefs cost a month?
The short answer is $129 to $449 a month for most people, because Lite, Standard and Advanced are the tiers most customers pick. Starter is a lighter route for people who only need to see what others search for. Enterprise is for companies that need custom limits.
Ahrefs plans differ mainly in limits, and the monthly cost is the starting point, not the final bill. The cost per month of extra users, extra data and add-ons all raise it. Ahrefs uses two pricing models at once: a flat monthly plan and pay-as-you-go usage on top. The sections below take each part in turn.
What each plan includes
Ahrefs Starter plan
Starter is the entry tier at $29 a month. The vendor describes it as a way to see what people search for and to spy on competitors. It has its own page on the vendor’s site, so check that page for its limits before you buy.
Ahrefs Lite
The Lite plan costs $129 a month and is meant for small businesses and personal projects, including local SEO work on a few sites. It includes one user, 1,000 credits per user, five projects without verified ownership, six months of historical data, 750 tracked keywords, 150 checks on AI prompts and 100,000 crawl credits. It also has API and MCP access. Ahrefs API pricing is not a separate line, because Lite, Standard and Advanced all include that access, with higher row limits on higher plans. You can add up to two more users at $40 a month each.
Standard
The Standard plan costs $249 a month and targets freelance SEOs and marketing consultants. It adds unlimited credits, two years of historical data, 2,000 tracked keywords, 300 AI prompt checks and 500,000 crawl credits. Portfolios, Content Explorer, Batch Analysis and SERP comparison start here, along with keyword clusters and search intents. Extra users cost $60 a month each, up to five.
Advanced
Advanced costs $449 a month for in-house marketing teams. It keeps unlimited credits and raises the limits: five years of history, 5,000 tracked keywords, 600 AI prompt checks and 1,500,000 crawl credits. It also adds the Looker Studio integration, search type distribution and HTTP authentication in Site Audit. Extra users cost $80 a month each, up to ten.
Enterprise
The Enterprise plan starts at $1,499 a month with an annual commitment and at least three users. It adds uncapped API access, SSO, an audit log, unlimited historical data and personalised limits. Extra users cost $100 a month each.
What is in the Ahrefs package? The SEO tools on every plan
All paid plans share the same core tools. The higher plans raise limits and unlock more of them.
- Site Explorer: backlink analysis and organic traffic data for any website, useful for link building and competitor research.
- Keywords Explorer: keyword research with volumes, keyword difficulty and keyword suggestions. Higher plans add keyword clusters, search intents and AI suggestions.
- Site Audit: a crawl that flags technical SEO issues. Lite includes 100,000 crawl credits a month.
- Rank Tracker: weekly rank checks for the tracked keywords on your plan.
- Brand Radar and AI prompts: tracking of how a brand appears in AI answers and AI Overviews, with checks that grow by plan.
The Ahrefs tool also covers content marketing through Content Explorer on Standard and above.
Ahrefs pricing breakdown: what changes the cost
These three levers decide the final bill.
- Users. Every plan includes one user. More seats cost $40, $60 or $80 a month on Lite, Standard and Advanced. Users added without prepaying are charged automatically.
- Credits. Lite is metered by credits per user, capped at 1,000 a month. Standard and Advanced remove that cap. Reports, exports and API calls also draw on monthly data limits, and you can switch on pay-as-you-go top-ups.
- Add-ons. The vendor sells optional extras, listed below.
Add-ons, AI tracking and API access
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Content Kit | From $99 a month |
| Report Builder | $99 a month |
| Project Boost Pro | $20 a month per project |
| Project Boost Max | $200 a month per project |
| Custom prompt packages (AI tracking) | $50, $100 or $250 a month |
Is there a free tier, a discount or a trial?
The vendor says on its pricing page that it never runs discounts. A website owner can sign up for Ahrefs Free for limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit. Many people still search for it as Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. For coupon routes, read Ahrefs coupon code: what works.
Pay monthly or annually
Paying annually saves up to 17%. Annual billing is set up through Ahrefs support. A monthly plan has no contract or setup fee, and you can cancel at any time. After cancelling you keep the plan until the period ends, then your Ahrefs account moves to Ahrefs Free.
Payment and refunds
- Payment is by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay. Wire transfer is available for Enterprise customers.
- It does not issue refunds in general. A monthly subscriber who has not used the service can ask for one, and the vendor may decline if there is material activity.
Which plan do you need?
- Checking a few sites and competitors now and then: Starter or Lite is enough.
- Running campaigns for a small business: Lite, as long as 1,000 credits a month cover your reports.
- A freelancer or consultant who runs reports every day: Standard, because credits are unlimited and it opens Content Explorer and Batch Analysis.
- An in-house team measuring its SEO efforts across many keywords: Advanced, for the larger limits and extra user seats.
- An agency or company with custom needs: Enterprise, for the API, SSO and unlimited history.
Ways to pay less for Ahrefs
There are four honest routes. They differ in cost and in what you give up.
- Start smaller. Starter, or Ahrefs Free for your own site, covers light use.
- Pay annually. It saves up to 17% if you are sure you will use the tool all year.
- Buy only the users you need. Extra seats are billed monthly, so add them when a teammate needs one.
- Use a shared seat. DigitaVision lists Ahrefs inside the Arhefs Combo, a pack of Ahrefs and a second SEO tool opened through a browser extension, with a daily credit limit and a shared workspace. It is not an official Ahrefs subscription, and DigitaVision is not affiliated with the vendor. The Ahrefs group buy guide explains what you get and what you give up.
If you need private projects, client reporting or heavy daily use, an official plan is the better choice.
Ahrefs pricing compared with Semrush, Moz and SE Ranking
Tools like Semrush and Moz cover the same ground, and each sells its own plans. To compare Ahrefs with them, start with the price. In an Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison, the rival lists its SEO Classic plans at $139.95, $249.95 and $499.95 a month, as of October 2026, which puts its mid plan next to Standard. Check the others on their own pricing pages for current figures. For a head-to-head view, read Semrush vs Ahrefs, and for the Semrush price list see Semrush pricing.
FAQ
How does Ahrefs pricing work?
As of October 2026, the vendor lists Starter at $29, Lite at $129, Standard at $249, Advanced at $449 and Enterprise from $1,499 a month. Paying annually saves up to 17%.
Does Ahrefs have a free plan?
Yes. Ahrefs Free gives website owners limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for their own verified sites. It does not include the full paid data.
Does Ahrefs have a free trial or discount code?
The vendor says it never runs discounts. The routes that cost less are Starter, Ahrefs Free and annual billing.
What is the difference between Lite and Standard?
Standard costs $249 a month against $129 for Lite. It removes the 1,000-credit cap, adds Content Explorer, Batch Analysis and Portfolios, and raises tracked keywords from 750 to 2,000.
Can I cancel my subscription at any time?
Yes. There are no contracts or setup fees. You keep the plan until the end of the billing period, then move to Ahrefs Free.
Is there a cheaper way to use Ahrefs?
Yes, with trade-offs. A group buy seat shares one account, so the Ahrefs price per person is lower, but it has a daily credit limit and no private workspace. DigitaVision lists it in the Arhefs Combo, together with Semrush.
